On a sunny, unseasonably warm March afternoon, one of the favorite destinations in the Lansing area – Eastwood Towne Center – was bustling with people easing into springtime.

But just north of the mall is an area that, while still under construction, is bustling with potential for the future: the Eastwood expansion, a section with plans for residences, retail, green space, and restaurants.

There is still much work to be done, but there are two bright stars that are ready to get the ball rolling: Tony Sacco’s Coal Oven Pizza and Bar 30, both set to open this year.

We met with Dan Zopf, operating partner of Tony Sacco’s/Bar 30, and got a walk-through of the spaces that will soon be transformed into some of the hottest spots in the Lansing area. Zopf was born and raised in the Lansing area, and as a former GM at Mitchell’s, has strong ties to Eastwood and the restaurant scene.

Tony Sacco’s will offer coal oven pizza, as well as a variety of salads and sandwiches. Zopf explained that the Eastwood complex has been missing a pizza place, and Tony Sacco’s will be unlike anything else in the area.

The restaurant will hold up to 170, including patio space for 20 outside. Zopf also said that heaters will be installed overhead, allowing for enough space and warmth to have diners eating al fresco for a majority of the year.

There are Tony Sacco’s locations throughout the U.S. and in Michigan – Ann Arbor will also be opening a location in 2012.

Just next door is the site for Bar 30, the first of what could be many locations, Zopf and his partners hope. Bar 30 will be an upscale martini bar, bringing a sense of fun and nightlife to the Eastwood expansion area.

Between Tony Sacco’s and Bar 30, around 200 employees will be hired, many of whom have been employees at other Eastwood businesses.

When we asked about the menu, Zopf explained that Bar 30 will offer everything “from french fries to filet”, and will fit 250 people including outdoor seating.

Expect Bar 30 to be a go-to spot for everything from having a business lunch to catching a Michigan State game on one of its many big-screen TVs to being an upscale night out with a date or friends. Bar 30′s large stage will feature local bands and musicians, and the DJ booth promises nights of dancing and rocking out to 70s, 80s, and 90s music.

As Zopf said, “come and bring your kids to Tony Sacco’s for some pizza, have the babysitter come pick them up, go see a movie at NCG, and come back to Bar 30 for drinks and music.”

One perk of the Eastwood expansion that can’t be found in the local downtown areas is the free parking. Patrons of Bar 30 and Tony Sacco’s will be able to park in the lot out front without the need to validate parking or have extra quarters.

The completion of the retail space and parking structure just northeast of the restaurants will offer additional space for vehicles to park for free.

So now that the wintertime is becoming a distant memory, and daydreaming about open-air nights out is becoming a regular routine, the prospects at the Eastwood expansion are sounding as refreshing as lemonade on a sunny day.

When it comes to revitalizing the Lansing area with new hot spot destinations, Tony Sacco’s and Bar 30 at the Eastwood expansion are getting the ball rolling in style.

Tony Saccos Coal Oven Pizza -

Tony Saccos Coal Oven Pizza -

LANSING TWP. – Holiday shoppers aren’t the only ones buzzing about Eastwood Towne Center these days.

Construction crews are making progress on new retail and parking space north of the retail center.

About 150 construction workers have been at the site at some point since work began this summer.

A pizzeria and bar are slated to open this spring as the first new businesses in the development, which will eventually include several new restaurants and stores, 124 upscale apartments, a parking structure and an expansion of NCG Eastwood Cinemas.

The parking structure, stores and other restaurants should open in the fall of 2012. Developers hope to host a grand opening the week of Sept. 12.

“That’s the 10-year anniversary of Eastwood, so we’re trying to push for doing some things that week,” said Steve Hayward, director of planning and development and executive director of the township’s Downtown Development Authority.

Lansing Township, through its DDA, is acting as its own developer to build 120,000 square feet of commercial space and a parking garage adjacent to, but separate from, Eastwood.

The township is using funds from the sale of $22 million in municipal bonds to pay for construction with plans to pay back debt with lease payments and tenant fees. It signed a 99-year lease with landowner Mike Eyde for the roughly 13-acre site.

The first two tenants — Bar 30 and Tony Sacco’s Coal Oven Pizza — were originally slated to open in October, but construction was delayed partly because of a lack of enough qualified bidders for various portions of the project.

The 4,500 square-foot pizzeria should open by the end of March, while the adjacent 7,900-square-foot Bar 30 restaurant and night club should open by the end of April.

“We have six restaurants open now,” said co-owner George Kurajian. “This is the first time working with a township or city (as a developer) and it’s been great.”
Bringing jobs

Kurajian said he plans to hire 140 to 150 people. Hiring likely will start in January or February.

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Tony Sacco’s opened their first store in the Bonita Springs area of Florida in July 2008. By early 2009 there was a demand for franchising, and by summer of ’09 they began selling their first franchises. A franchisee opened a second Florida location in Fort Meyers; others franchisees opened stores in Illinois and Indiana with more scheduled in Ohio, North Carolina, and a slew more in greater Chicagoland (yep–Chicago will FINALLY have a decent pizza franchise). There are now a total of 18 Tony Sacco’s restaurants already open, sold or planned, and in SE Michigan we’re about to see several more open in 2012.

Owners Chuck Senatore and George Kurajian are originally from Michigan, so it was only natural that as they opened more of their own stores that they would open one here. The Novi location opened in January 2011, and brought with it what might actually be among the first of its kind in metro Detroit: a coal-fired pizza oven. (The only other local pizzeria we know of using a coal-fired oven is Tomatoes Apizza.)

The idea for Tony Sacco’s came into existence as Senatore and Kurajian were looking for a project. At the time they also had a third partner, Tony Sacco, but he left the business before they even opened their first store. “We liked the name,” Chuck says. “It’s a cool name, and we already had the fuse lit with that name so Tony let us use it and now we own the trademark so it’s our name to use.” Besides, it sounds a lot better than “George Kurajian’s Coal Oven Pizza” (sorry, George). “People call me Tony half the time but whatever,” Chuck laughs.

Read the Full Article at Eat It Detroit Blog

Tony Saccos Coal Oven Pizza -

Tony Saccos Coal Oven Pizza -

Tony Sacco’s Coal Oven Pizza, which opened its first Chicago area outlet in late June in Mount Prospect, already is turning heads and heating up the local pizza scene.

Pizza fans will like the fresh taste and light, crispy crust of the product turned out by the Florida-based chain. And Erin Morgan, who runs the sleek, freestanding pizzeria in the Randhurst Village shopping complex, already is scouting potential sites for other locations. He has rights to develop eight additional Tony Sacco’s units.

The restaurant says its ovens, fired by pure anthracite coal, reach an internal temperature of up to 1,000 degrees F. As a result, the custom-made pizzas typically bake within four minutes.

An added bonus: The restaurant uses a homemade plum tomato-based sauce with fresh basil and garlic.

Traditional pizzas come with mozzarella and Romano cheese in small (12-inch diameter), large (16 inch) and kid sizes. Extra toppings include caramelized onions, roasted mushrooms, Italian sausage, anchovies and bacon, among others.

Marco Polo, the specialty pizza we tried, impressed with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes along with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil. It brought back memories of a similar pizza eaten years earlier on a piazza in Rome. Depending on the size of your party and appetite, order the small ($15.95) or the 16-inch large ($18.95).

Some other pizza possibilities were the traditional Margherita and Pepperoni Classico, as well as Napoli (with meatballs, ricotta and provolone) and barbecue chicken and vegetarian versions.

A handful of antipasti, including sausage and peppers, caprese salad and oven-roasted chicken wings were available. The dinner-size house salad ($8) was excellent but overwhelming for two diners; it came with romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, red onion, garbanzo beans, kalamata olives and hard-boiled egg with Italian dressing on the side and crostini.

Tony Sacco’s also offers a selection of oven-baked flatbread sandwiches.

The place dispenses filtered water and its bar has a selection of wines, draft and bottled beer, and soft drinks.

Only one dessert was on the menu, but it was a winner: a shareable shortcake filled with luscious vanilla mousse, topped with whipped cream and surrounded by fresh berries.

Thomas Witom is a local free-lance writer.

TONY SACCO’S COAL OVEN PIZZA

182 Randhurst Village Dr., Mount Prospect;
(847) 253-4000; tonysaccos.com

Hours: Open for lunch and dinner at 11 a.m. daily.

Prices: Appetizers and salads, $4-$9; sandwiches, $7-$8; traditional pizza, $10.50-$14.50; specialty pizza, $15.95-$18.95.

Try: Tony’s Insalata di Casa, Marco Polo specialty pizza and Sacco’s shortcake.

Tips: No reservations accepted, so arriving early on weekends could preclude long waits to be seated. Kids’ menu. Carryout. Lunch specials.

In a bite: Whether you’re in the area shopping at Randhurst, looking for a post-theater bite or just in the mood for a memorable pizza, Tony Sacco’s Coal Oven has you covered.

Tony Saccos Coal Oven Pizza -

Tony Saccos Coal Oven Pizza -

Tony Saccos Coal Oven Pizza -

When asked why he chose Randhurst Village as the first Chicagoland location, Erin, who lives in the local area and liked the new design and concept of the mall, stated that the commitment and support from Casto (the mall developer) and the Village of Mount Prospect to make this a first class entertainment complex, was the deciding factor for being the choice for the first of the Chicagoland Tony Sacco’s location. “While I looked at many locations throughout the market, when I took everything into consideration, this location had so many positive attributes that I wanted to have it be my first location.” Morgan added “ I really wanted to make a splash and make an immediate impact with the first location”. Another driving force for the location selected was the longevity shown in Mount Prospect to support retail business. “The fact that Randhurst Mall thrived in the local community, for over 50 years, proved to me that the market for this type of concept, in this particular location, would be a natural fit”. “The community has proven time and time again that it will support business that offer great value, and we are thrilled to be here” added Morgan.

Chuck Senatore, CEO and co-founder of Tony Sacco’s was very impressed with the vision and the strategic plan that Casto had for redeveloping the mall. “Not only are we excited to be entering the Chicago market, but we are particularly pleased with the selection for the first of the Chicago locations, said Senatore”.

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Tony Sacco’s was started by three friends from Michigan Chuck Senatore, George Kurajian and Tony Sacco. Their mission was to bring back the original taste and quality of pizza the way it was made when the first pizzerias were opened in the early 1900’s, this required the use of a coal burning oven, homemade sauce and dough, and fresh, hand cut toppings. By combining their years of restaurant experience and using old family recipes, they have claimed success! Everything we served is prepared fresh daily claimed Chuck Senatore, co-founder of Tony Sacco’s. We have no freezers, fryers or microwaves in our stores. Everything we make is baked to order in our custom built coal burning oven.

The new Tony Sacco’s Coal Oven Pizza franchise will open up in Mt. Prospect, Illinois on Tuesday June 21st.

Tony Saccos Coal Oven Pizza -